Amusement apparatus.



E. T. SULZER, M. GARANGBR & V. J. DEY.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1906.

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N0. 8' 74,135. PATENTED DEG. 1'7, 1907.

E. T. SULZER, M. GARANGER & V. J. DEY.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 6,1906.

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UNITED STATES [PATENT oFFicn.

l ERNEST T. SULZER, MAURICE GARANGER, AND VALENTINE J. DEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed June 6. 1906- Serial No. 3 0,388.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST T. SULZER, a citizen of the United States, MAURICE GA- RANGER, a citizen of France, and VALENTINE J. DEY, a citizen of the United States, all residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have jointly invented certain new and useful improve ments in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention aims to provide an interesting and exciting amusement apparatus in which passengers are carried on wooden horses, carriages, vehicles, or other carrying devices such as are common in ordinary carousels. According to this invention, however, different carrying devices are driven around the course atdifferent speeds, and means are preferably provided for controlling the relative speeds at will so as to add to the pleasure of the ride the excitement of a race.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan showing the driving and controlling mechanism more orless diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a transverse section approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar transverse sections of Fig. 5 is a transverse view of still another construction, of which Figs. 6 and 7 are details. l

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the carrying devices A are mounted on rings B arranged concentrically and alongside of each other, any desired number of carrying devices being mounted on each ring. The rings are then rotated at different speeds by anyone of various suitable mechanisms, and preferably also an operator who may be himself unseen is enabled tocontrol the relative speeds or the absolute 1 speed of the individual rings so as to make first one and then another set of riders go faster. A post 0' or other mark may be erected to indicate the finish line of the race, the rider nearest to the post at the rear thereof being" the winner, A platform. D provides access to the carrying devices and conceals substantially all the other moving arts.

Each ringB is preferably a stiif framed structure, as indicated in the detail figures. Or it may be articulated or flexible, in which case the circular shape may be held by suitable guiding means. rings may be small or may be very great, and

The diameters of the there is no limit to the number of rings which.

may be used. The rings are not necessarily circular. 1

For driving the rings I may use the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in which each ring rests upon a number'of supporting rollers E one of which has a shaft F driven by an electric motor G, so that the roller becomes a driving roller as well as a support. For controlling the relative speeds of the different ringsthe several motors G may be connected to a generator or other source of power H through the intermediation. of rheostats J the arms K of which are independently movable so that they may introduce a greater or less resistance into any one of the circuits and thus vary the speed'of any one of the rings. With the rollers E of the plain cylindrical shape shown, guide wheels L will also be provided at intervals, running upon a guide rail M.

According to the construction shown in Fig. 3, each ring B runs upon a supporting rail N, which serves also as a guiding rail, the rollers of the ring being doubleflanged. In this case each ring carries its own motor G similar to ordinary street-car motors, and which derives its current by means of a slid-- ing or rolling contact with a conductor P. The s eed in this case may be controlled by intro ucing' different resistances intothe circuits of the several conductors P.

As shown in Fig. 4, there may be a pair of wheels 0 for each ring, a motor G being arranged between and making contact with a conductor P.

According to'each of the previously dey scribed constructions not only is the speed different for the different rings, but the speeds of the difi'erent rings are at all times under control.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a construction in which the angular s eeds are the same for a time, but in which t 1e speeds are varying at the finish and are not controllable. The rings B in this case rest with a certain amount of friction on supporting railsQ arof frames R constituting The base ranged upon a series a common base for all the rings. in turn is provided with supporting and ing rollers O resting upon stationary rai s N.

One or more motors G drive the entire base with the rails Q. The several carriages A are guided by means of slots in the floor D, which in this case rotates with the base. A shaftS is provided with a number of cranks T adapted when turned upward to engage pins U carried by the several rings 13; and with an operating crank T on the end for turning up the cranks T. An impositive lock, such, for example, as the notched spring V, may be provided at any suitable point adapted to be engaged by a crank or cam W on the shaft to hold the latter from turning. A crank X may also be provided on the opposite end of the shaft adapted to be engaged by an arm Y when the latter is thrown up, so that the shaft will be turned into a position to release the pins U and the carriages, and the latter will run of their own momentum at varying speeds.

Though we have described with great particularity of detail certain specific embodi ments of our invention, yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the invention is limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, various modifications therein in detail and in the arrangement and combination of the parts may be made by those skilled in.

the art without departure from the invention.

What we claim is An amusement apparatus including in combination a plurality of carrying devices arranged alongside of each other, supporting rails Q, a common base carrying the supporting rails for all said devices, means for driving said common base, and means for connecting said carrying devices to said base so as to be driven therewith and for releasing them'frorn said base so as to permit them to travel by their momentum independently of each other.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ERNEST T. SULZER.

MAURICE GARANGER. VALENTINE J. DEY.

Witnesses:

DoMrNeo A. UsINA, THEODORE T. SNELL. 

